Johnny Manziel got OVO tattoo before he and Drake became friends

Johnny Manziel and Drake have been close friends since the two met several months ago — an event Manziel has referred to as the highlight of his offseason. Since the meeting, we have seen Drake shout out to Manziel on Twitter and Manziel frequently rocking “OVO” gear, which stands for October’s Very Own (Drake’s birthday month) and is essentially Drake’s brand.

“He actually got the OVO tattoo before we even met,” Drake said on ESPN’s First take on Tuesday. “He was that much of a supporter and a fan.”

Drake also spoke at length about how much of a great person Manziel is. Contrary to what many others may believe, Drake said he feels he is a positive influence on the 20-year-old Manziel’s life.

“He’s got a pure heart,” Drake said. “He’s very strong-minded. It bothers me when people try to strip him of that, because that’s what drew me to him. I like to be a positive reinforcement in his life. I feel like our friendship will last for a very long time. We’re a duo.

“I encourage him to have stronger discipline. I tell him that in this position we’re in, it takes major sacrifice. I know you want to live your life and I know you want to have fun. There’s also a bigger picture here and I try to implement that into his psyche.”

Drake said he has even encouraged Manziel to not hang out with him if it means reducing the criticism. The popular musician said he is the one always telling people around them to not take pictures and to make sure Manziel is taken care of.

“For me it’s not about hanging out and looking cool because I know Johnny Manziel,” Drake explained. “I care about this guy.”

While Drake sounded sincere, most people find it hard to believe that a celebrity rapper would be a positive influence on a college quarterback — especially when that athlete is only 20 years old. As LB explained in his in-depth look into Manziel’s relationship with Drake, the hand gesture he makes during games represents Drake’s Topszn Regime. Topszn is a strain of marijuana. That in itself is probably enough to make people hesitant to buy what Drake was selling on Tuesday.